The present invention is related to a method for manufacturing semiconductor devices and a semiconductor wafer formed in a process of manufacturing the semiconductor devices.
FIG. 1 shows schematic diagram (e.g., a schematic top view) that illustrates a semiconductor wafer 100 formed in a process of manufacturing semiconductor devices. FIG. 2 shows a schematic diagram (e.g., an enlarged image) that illustrates a bump defect 101 on the wafer 100.
In a process of manufacturing semiconductor devices, a chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) process may be performed on the wafer 100 after metal gate structures have been formed on the wafer 100. For facilitating lithography, an anti-reflective coating may be formed on the wafer 100 after the CMP process.
During the CMP process, metal ions may be generated on the polished surface of the wafer 100. The metal ions may lead to a substantially large amount of bump defects, including a bump defect 101, on the wafer 100 after the anti-reflective coating has been formed on the wafer 100. Typically, the amount of the bump defects on the wafer 100 may be at least 200. The bump defects may result in substantially defective semiconductor devices produced from the wafer 100. Given the substantially large amount of the bump defects on the wafer 100, the manufacturing yield associated with the manufacturing process may be unsatisfactory.